menicocci



May 13, 1930. A. v. MENICOCCI 1,758,456

SIGN FLASHER Filed Sept. 28, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL y 13, 1930- I A. v. MENICOCCI 1,758,456

SIGN FLASHER Filed Sept. 28, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 was ,2 MM m May 13, 1930.

A. V. MENICOCCI Filed Sept 28 1927 SIGN FLASHER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 amoewcoz all M QMOT/WW W C Patented May 13, 1930 PATENT OFFICE AUGUST V. MENICOCGI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SIGN FLASHER Application filed September 28, 1927.

This invention 1 ertains to electric contact devices such as find their greatest utility in sign flashing.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which will be substantial, durable in operation, compact, light in weight, noiseless in operation, easy to adjust, cheap to manufacture, and easily accessible for repairs and adjustment.

Further and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying specification and claims and shown in the drawings, which by way of illustration show what is now considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. F1 3 1s a cross-section on the line 33 p of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 1s a longitudinal cross-section of the contact drum.

Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 3 but with mechanism for rocking the contact member back and forth instead of rotating it.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6.

Power is supplied by motor 10. Supported on the motor by brackets 12 is a plat-form 14, upon which the flasher device is mounted. Pulley 16 on the motor, by means of belt 18, drives pulley 20 which is free to rotate on stud 22 in the frame 24 of the device.

Fast to pulley 20 is pinion 26, enmeshed with gear 28, fast on shaft 30. Set collar 32 serves to retain pulley 20 and pinion 26 on stud 22.

Shaft 30 is supported for rotation in frame members 24, one on each side of the machine. The end of shaft 30 opposite gear 28 is provided with a pulley 34 which by means of belt 36 drives pulley 38 fast on shaft 40 extending through the machine parallel to shaft 30.

Fast on shaft 40 is a contact drum designated generally as 42. Drum 42 is preferably built as shown in Fig. 4, in which two copper tubes 44 are clamped, by nuts 46 threaded on shaft 40, between non-conducting heads 48 and the central disk-like non-conducting partition 50 which is free to slide on shaft 40. The ends of shaft 40 are turned down to a Serial No. 222,458.

diameter less than the roots of the threads in order to form journal to rotate in the frame bearings. The above type of construction permits ready adjustment of the length of the contact drum for different requirements of service. It also has other advantages that will appear later.

Across the upper part of the machine, from frame 24 to frame 24, is a round bar 52 upon which are mounted a number of rocker arms 54. Surrounding bar 52 within each rocker 54 is an insulating bushing 56. Rockers 54 are spaced from each other and from the frames by insulating sleeves 58 (Fig. 2). Rockers 54 are therefore insulated from each other and from the other parts of the machine.

Extending across the machine abo e rod 52 is non-conducting bar 60, on which are mounted screw terminals 62 for Wires, there being one terminal for each rocker 54. CO1: necting each terminal 62 to its corresponding rocker 54 is a flexible wire 64, clamped to the rocker by screw 66.

Extending across the machine parallel to and between shafts 30 and 40 is a rod 68, upon which are mounted rocker levers 70, there be: ing one lever directly underneath each rocker arm 54. One end of lever 70 is bifurcated as at 72 and the space between arms 72 is occupied by a cam or eccentric 74 fast on shaft 30, so that when shaft 30 rotates, lever 70 will be rocked on rod 68.

Cams 74 are adjustably held to shaft by set screws 69.

The other end of lever 70 is provided with a rubber pad 76, so positioned as to bear against the under side of arm 54 to raise it whenever the free end of lever 70 rises and to lower it when the free end of lever 70 falls.

The free end of each arm 54 is fitted with a downwardly projecting contact button 78, preferably of copper, clamped to arm 54 by nut 80.

hen arm 54 is lowered, contact button 78 rests on contact drum 42. To insure a proper pressure between butt-on 78 and drum 42, even when dirt or oil may cover the drum, I provide spring 82 surrounding stud 84 which is fast to lever 70. Stud 84 passes upwardly through a hole provided in arm 5% for that purpose. The hole is lined by insulating bushing 86, and surmounted by a metal washer 88, upon which rests a second metallic washer 90, which, in turn, serves as a bearing for the lower end of s ring 82. The upper end. of the springs; bears against washer 02. adjustably secured stud 8 by nuts 94.

Since lever and arm 5% are pivoted on different centers, stud has a fore and aft movement, relatively to arm 5% within bushing 86, and consequently washer 90 slides on was ier 88, but on account of bushing 86 there is no electric contact between stud 8 t and arm 54.

lVhenever the free end of lever 70 is lowered, button 78 rests on drum s2 and is pressed into contact therewith by the weight of arm Friand by spring 82.

Contact finger 96, fast to insulated bar 98, has its free end in contact with drum %2. flurrent is supplied to finger 96 by wire 100.

When the machine in operation, drum l2 and shaft 30 rotate continuously, cams 7% rock levers 70, and the buttons T8 make intermittent contacts with drum 4-2, the time and duration of contact being determined by the shapes of cams T4 and their posit-ions on shaft 30.

/Vhenever a button 78 is in contact with drum 42, current flows from source through wire 100, brush 90, drum 52, button 78, arm 54, wire 6 1-, terminal 02, wire 102 through the lights on that particular circuit and back to source.

Most machines of this kind are installed on 110 volt circuits. If a 220 volt line is on countered, two brushes 96 are provided, one in contact with each drum section at, and the current is thereby divided into two 110 volt circuits so that regular lamps and equipment may be used.

Figs. 5, 6 and '7 show modified forms of the invention, in which the rotating contact drum 42 replaced by a contact member that rocks back and forth instead of making complete revolutions.

In the modification in Fig. 5, oullcy 34: is replaced by disk 104,-, belt 30 link 106, pulley 88 by arm 108, and drum by arcuate surface 110. Link 106 is connected to disk 104. by crank pin 112, and to arm 108 by pin 114. Arm 103 is fast to the end of shaft 40, and surface 110 is supported from shaft 40 by insulated hubs 116 and spokes 118.

From the above description it will be evident that disk 104i rotates, surface 110 will be rocked back and forth by link 106 through the instrumentality of arm 108. Brush 120 serves to conduct current to surface 110.

In Figs. 6 and 7 contact member 2 remains in drum form, and although it does not rotate through a complete revolution, it is rotated back and forth almost a complete revolution by the two links 122 and 12-1 connected at their left ends to crank pins 126 and 128 respectively, carried by disk member 1230 fast on shaft 30, and connected at their right ends to crank pins 132 and 12% respectively, fast in disk member 136 fast on shaft 40. This type of link motion is a well known expedient for rocking one shaft from another shaft that is rotating, and therefore requires no further description.

The drawings show four contact buttons and devices for operating them, but, if desired, any number of contacts may be assembled into a machine simply by placing frames 2%. the proper distance apart and making the contact drum, shafts, and so forth, of proper length to accommodate the lovers, cams, etc.

It is to be understood that the invention 1s not limited to the specific construction herein illustrated and described but can be embodied in other forms without departure from its spiritas defined by the appended claims.

I claii 1. In a device for intermittently passing current through groups of lamps, in combination, an arcuate contact surface, means for imparting rotary motion to said surface, a plurality of contact buttons each connected to a group of lamps, and means for causing intermittent contact between each of said buttons and said surface whereby the groups of lamps may be illuminated at predetermined times for predetermined periods, said contact surface being in sections, so that the current flowing therethrough may be divided into a plurality of circuits, to thereby control the voltage in each circuit.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a contact member, means for imparting rotary motion to said member, contact buttons arranged to contact with said member to complete electric circuits therethrough, means for periodically bringing said buttons into contact with said member, and adjustable means for controlling the times and durations of contact of said buttons with said member.

8. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a contact member, means for impzn'ting rotary motion to said member, a contact button arranged to contact with said member to complete an electric circuit therethrough, a pivoted arm supporting said button, and means for intermittently moving said arm to bring said button into contact with said member to establish a temporary electric circuit therethrough.

l. The invention set forth in claim 3 in which resilient means is provided for holding said button in contact with said member during the establishment of said temporary circuit.

5. The invention set forth in claim 3 in which said moving means is adjustable for controlling the duration and time of formation of said temporary circuit.

6. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a contact member, means for imparting rotary motion to said member, a contact button arranged to contact with said member to complete an electric circuit therethrough, a pivoted arm supporting said button, means for intermittently moving said arm to bring said button into contact with said member to establish a temporary electric circuit therethrough, and a lever for transmitting motion from said moving means to said arm.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6 in which a resilient device controlled by said lever operates through said arm to hold said button in resilient contact with said contact member while the circuit is established.

8. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a contact member, means for imparting rotary motion to said member, a contact button arranged to contact with said member to complete an electric circuit therethrough, a pivoted arm supporting said but ton, means for holding saidlbutton in resilient contact with said member while the circuit is established, and positively operated means under control of said moving means for breaking the circuit.

In testimony whereof I hereto atfix my signature.

AUGUST V. MENICOOCI. 

